West Ham United supporters have drawn criticism for a chant directed at new signing Manor Solomon that includes a lyric referencing the Israel-Gaza war. The chants were heard during the club's recent match against Burnley, where Solomon made his debut.
Solomon, an Israeli international, joined West Ham from Tottenham for a reported £5 million fee. During the game, a portion of the fanbase was heard singing a chant that contained the phrase "he hates Palestine." This lyric has since sparked a significant backlash, with many condemning the chant online, including from within the West Ham supporter community.
One X user described the chant as "disgusting levels of ignorance" and "a disgrace." Another called it "shameful," while a third stated, "The anti-Palestine chant for Manor Solomon by West Ham fans is gross and should be punished." A user on Reddit commented that the chant was "out of touch" and "too far," questioning how some fans could make light of the ongoing conflict, which began on October 7, 2023.
Solomon, who has earned 49 caps for Israel and completed mandatory service in the Israeli Defense Forces, has previously shared social media posts related to the conflict. Similar chants were directed at Solomon during his time playing for Leeds United in the 2024-25 campaign. At that time, Leeds United issued multiple statements condemning the chant, stating that "Hate crime and discriminatory language or chanting is not acceptable at Leeds United and the club has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination abuse of all kinds." Leeds United had increased CCTV surveillance and steward presence to identify individuals involved and warned of potential bans from their stadium.
Leeds United's supporter advisory board discussed the chant in January 2025. Meeting minutes indicated that the police did not classify the chant as a hate crime. Solomon scored in Sunday's match against Burnley, which ended in a 2-2 draw for West Ham.